Valve holder

摘要

Methods and apparatus for holding and maneuvering a valve during preparation and attachment to patient, providing increased visibility of the prosthetic valve and the sewing ring to prevent suture entanglement. A handle attachment is spaced from the valve for improved visibility of the sewing ring and the outlet end of the valve during attachment. Commissure posts are bent inward at the tips while preventing crashing of the commissure posts into each other causing damage. A release force needed to remove the holder and unthread the holder sutures is reduced. The holder and related methods can provide a kink free holder suture path to reduce suture entanglement and prevent damage to the implanted valve during holder removal by reducing the release force needed to remove the holder sutures by up to 30%.

主权项

1. A method of attaching a valve holder to a prosthetic heart valve, the heart valve having an axis, an outlet and an inlet, a sewing ring on the valve adjacent the inlet, the sewing ring having an inner portion and an inside diameter, a stent on the valve adjacent the outlet, the stent having a plurality of commissure posts adjacent the outlet end, the method comprising:
receiving a holder with a small central hub, a plurality of radially extending legs on the central hub, each leg having a small foot on the inner portion of the sewing ring and a rotatable spool mounted in the central hub; attaching a holder suture onto the spool for each one of the plurality of legs, the holder suture attached at a first end; wherein the holder defines:
a first suture path for the first end of each holder suture, the first holder suture paths comprising suture outlet in the central hub adjacent each one of the plurality of legs, a suture slot in the respective leg, and an exit hole in the small foot,a second suture path for each holder suture, the second suture paths comprising an entrance hole in the small foot on each leg and a suture anchor spaced from the foot on each respective leg; extending the first end of each holder suture from the spool along a respective first suture path; attaching the holder to the valve by:
engaging the sewing ring at the inner portion of the sewing ring adjacent the first suture path,threading each of the plurality of holder sutures through a commissure post adjacent the first suture path and an adjacent one of the plurality of commissure posts,engaging the sewing ring a second time with each holder suture adjacent the adjoining commissure post, andextending a second end of each holder suture along the second suture path on the leg adjacent the adjoining one of the plurality of commissure posts and tying each holder suture to a suture anchor; attaching the valve to a patient by valve sutures on the sewing ring, the valve sutures spaced from the holder sutures; and cutting the holder sutures adjacent the central hub and pulling with a release force along the axis of the valve to remove the holder from the valve, the holder sutures remaining connected at the suture anchors.